Prologue

Frank Speaks, who writes on SOL, began the basic premise and a universe for this series.

It is based upon impossibilities in theory and, insofar as we can tell, practice. We know that IT CAN'T HAPPEN. By the way, the Day passed without incident. This is just a story and its beginning was a method of moving to the real story by providing certain results. The virus is the primary culprit. Frank had an idea for using the division of Florida, which never materialized into a story. I did, too. It hasn't happened for me either, at least, not yet.

If you can think of a way to get the same or different results from a different starting point, write that story. If you can think of a way to utilize the division of Florida, write that story. If you can write the story of another place, write that story. The sites, SOL and Finestories, can use more authors.

This series is primarily focused upon two communities and tells the stories of their leaders and a few others in a very personal way through their diaries or journals. With Frank's permission, I put together my own beginning to the story. I am now making some major revisions to my series of stories in the universe, most of which were previously posted on finestories.com. Since I now also post on SOL, this will go on both sites. It will take a while but there are some new tales to tell within the larger story.

Other than the original, basic idea, the stories from Frank and from me have diverged greatly. This revision is to create a better beginning for my series, line up the longer tale that mine has become, and tie it together with such corrections, additions, and amplifications as we, my editors and I, have thought appropriate. Tolkien wrote, "The story grew with the telling." It needs rewriting to make it consistent and to tell a better tale as it has become too large to encompass everything and make sense without this rework. It also has a new name to cover the changes that have come in the process of revising the original.

Despite efforts to catch mistakes, I am sure errors are still present. There has yet to be a review that didn't show some previously uncaught errors. We think that we have caught most of the continuity items but a few grammar and spelling errors will have slipped through.

I will continue to tell the story as time passes and ideas germinate into stories. Thanks for taking the time to read my story. I hope you enjoy it.

73,

Radio_Guy

A few more acknowledgements

Thanks to my parents for birthing and raising me in the south. There is a saying in the south that you are "American by birth and Southern by the Grace of God." This country has many beautiful and wonderful places. I like it here.

Thanks to my editors, particularly George. You have helped track down errors in word usage and continuity. The bigger the tale, the harder continuity becomes.

Finally, but not least, thanks to my wife for putting up with my weirdness for so many, many years.

Chapter 1 »